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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Train to Somewhere

The cover for Train to Somewhere Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources
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Use Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting to strengthen your students' comprehension skills, build their vocabulary, and help them understand how words work.

This is the story of an orphan named Marianne who is riding an orphan train west from New York City at the turn of the 20th century. Marianne's mother left her at an orphanage to find a better home, and despite her promises, she hasn't returned for Marianne. Marianne longs for her mom and a new family at every stop the train makes, but she finds neither. Then, she arrives in a town named Somewhere. Use Train to Somewhere with more sophisticated readers who need practice applying strategies like making inferences, identifying author messages, and determining importance to fully comprehend text.
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Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with Train to Somewhere in the drop down below.

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Determining Importance with Train to Somewhere

With several characters and plot details, Train to Somewhere will challenge students to focus on the central character and to determine what information and events are most important to the text as a whole.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.4.1,RL.4.2,RL.4.3,RL.4.4,RL.4.10,RF.4.3,RF.4.4,SL.4.1c,SL.4.1d,SL.4.2,W.4.8,L.4.6,W.4.9
TEKS Alignment
4.7C,4.13H,4.13E,4.13C,4.10A,4.8C,4.7G,4.7F,4.7E,4.7D,4.1A,4.7B,4.7A,4.6I,4.6H,4.6G,4.6E,4.6B,4.6A,4.1C
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Identifying the Author's Purpose with Train to Somewhere

The meaningful message in Train to Somewhere is very clear. As a result, this book is ideal for readers who need practice identifying the author's purpose. Readers will be able to focus on identifying evidence throughout the text that supports the broader message.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.4.2,RL.4.3,RL.4.6,RL.4.10,RF.4.3,RF.4.4,SL.4.1c,SL.4.1d,SL.4.2,W.4.8,L.4.6,W.4.9
TEKS Alignment
4.7D,4.13H,4.13E,4.13C,4.10C,4.10A,4.8A,4.7G,4.7F,4.7E,4.1A,4.7C,4.7B,4.7A,4.6I,4.6E,4.6B,4.6A,4.1C
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Making Inferences with Train to Somewhere

This book and lesson plan work well to support readers who need additional practice making inferences to improve reading comprehension. Readers will have to connect to prior knowledge and their own experiences and observations to understand what it might have been like to be on an orphan train without a family.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.4.1,RL.4.3,RL.4.4,RL.4.10,RF.4.3,RF.4.4,SL.4.1c,SL.4.1d,SL.4.2,W.4.8,L.4.6,W.4.9
TEKS Alignment
4.7C,4.13H,4.13E,4.13C,4.8B,4.8A,4.7G,4.7F,4.7E,4.7D,4.1A,4.7B,4.7A,4.6I,4.6F,4.6E,4.6B,4.6A,4.1C
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Synthesizing with Train to Somewhere

Train to Somewhere is an effective anchor text for advanced readers who need work synthesizing. In this lesson, students will work to recognize the different comprehension strategies they're using to understand the main character's perspective throughout the story.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.4.1,RL.4.2,RL.4.3,RL.4.4,RL.4.5,RL.4.6,RL.4.7,RL.4.10,RF.4.3,RF.4.4,SL.4.1c,SL.4.1d,SL.4.2,W.4.8,L.4.6,W.4.9
TEKS Alignment
4.7D,4.13H,4.13E,4.13C,4.8C,4.8B,4.8A,4.7G,4.7F,4.7E,4.1A,4.7C,4.7B,4.7A,4.6I,4.6H,4.6E,4.6B,4.6A,4.1C
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Vowels with Train to Somewhere

This word work lesson plan and set of teaching resources use Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting as a springboard for instruction focused on vowels.

By anchoring word study to the text, students will benefit from seeing how r-controlled vowels are used inside of the text before engaging in both guided and independent practice with vowels.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RF.4.3,RF.4.4
TEKS Alignment
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Vocabulary Connections with Train to Somewhere

This set of vocabulary development resources for Train to Somewhere highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book. Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions and pictures, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
L.4.4a,L.4.5c,L.4.6
TEKS Alignment
4.7E,4.7F,4.3A,4.3B
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Comprehension Assessment with Train to Somewhere

Use this Common Core aligned comprehension assessment to evaluate students' comprehension of Train to Somewhere.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Running Record with Train to Somewhere

Use this Running Record to assess oral reading fluency with Train to Somewhere. Track meaning, structure, and visual accuracy using the first 100 words of the text to determine whether or not this book is a good fit for the readers in your classroom.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Writing with Train to Somewhere

The BookPagez extension activities are a great way to push student engagement beyond the pages of the text. Try using this activity with early finishers, with students who show a deeper connection with the text, or as a center activity.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Determining Importance with Train to Somewhere (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Identifying the Author's Purpose with Train to Somewhere (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Making Inferences with Train to Somewhere (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Synthesizing with Train to Somewhere (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Writing with Train to Somewhere (Spanish)

Worksheet
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About the Book

The cover for the book Train to Somewhere
Title: Train to Somewhere
Author: Eve Bunting
Genre: Historical Fiction
Themes: History, Adventure, Family
ISBN: 9780395713259
Publisher's Summary:
Marianne, heading west with fourteen other children on an Orphan Train, is sure her mother will show up at one of the stations along the way. When her mother left Marianne at the orphanage, hadn't she promised she'd come for her after making a new life in the West? Stop after stop goes by, and there's no sign of her mother in the crowds that come to look over the children. No one shows any interest in adopting shy, plain Marianne, either. But that's all right: She has to be free for her mother to claim her. Then the train pulls into its final stop, a town called Somewhere . . .
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